Conveyer



` (NQ Model-J ,will f 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. STUTZ.

vCONVIHYER. r y

Patented Dec. 4,.1`883`.

m mma-lng@ (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

" Sv. STUTZ.

` GONVBYER. N0.`289,466. Patented Dec. 4, V1883 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. S. STUTZ.

VGOIVVIEIYEIR.

Pateted Dep. 4, 1883.

:Armar il FFICEQ' SEBASTIAN STUTZ, OF :ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIAl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,466, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed June 18, 1883. (No model.)

sylvania, have invented or discovered a new` and useful Improvement in Conveyers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,`

clear, concise, and exact `description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying draw-k ings, making a part of this specication, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure'l, Sheet 1, is a view in side eleva-` tion of my improved conveyer, the middle portion being broken away. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same.` Fig. 4 is a detached view of one of the plates employed in the conveyer. Fig. 5' shows in top plan a portion of the conveyer, its chains and sprocket-wheels broken awaylin part; Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9, Sheet 2, are views similar to Figs.` 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, the same illustrating certain modifications in construc-f tion. Fig. 10, Sheet 3, shows by a view in side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, one of the driving-wheels and a portion of the conveyer. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view in perspeci-ive of oneof the links forming part of the conveyer-ehain, and Fig. 12 is a similar view of oneof the rollers employed in carrying or supporting the conve'yer.

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for conveying minerals and other heavy substances; and, in general terms, it consists of certain combinations of endless chains formed of pivotally-connected` links, pans, or buckets secured to and carried by the links, wheels for driving the chains, rollers for supporting the chains and pans betweennthe driving-wheels, means for adj usting one or both theHdriving-wheels to tighten the chains, means for charging material onto the conveyer, and also in the construction of the several parts of the apparatus by which they are fitted to perform their several functions, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, A represents a frame-work of timber, carrying at either end timber-brackcts A', on which `are mounted c shafts e, `journaled in ,pillow-blocks c', each shaft carrying two polygonal sprocket-wheels, E, (see Fig. 5, on which the carrying chains C C are supported. The pillow-blocks of one shaft, a, or

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

` of both, if desired, are mounted by suitable tongue-and-groove or other guide connections upon a bed-plate, a2, andare made adjustable by screws a3, workingthrough lugs c4 on one side ofthe pulley-blocks, whereby the shafts carrying the sprocket-wheels are made movable to and from eachother to tighten or loosen the chains. On the periphery sides of the sprocket-wheels (see Fig. 10, Sheet 3, and Fig.

5, Sheet l) are made a double row of projeot- 4 ing lugs or sprockets, e, located at or about the middle of the side, and, by preference, open every other side of the polygonal periphery. These lugs are designed to engage the links of the carrying-chains and prevent the chains fromslipping inwhichever direction thewheels and chains may be driven. Two or more endless chains are employed, each being composed of links c. (See Fig. 11, Sheet 3.) These links have an eye, c, at one end, and a socket, c, at the opposite end, adapted to receive the eye of the adjacent link, the several links being conneeted, through their pins el, in the usual manner. At or in the center of each link is formed a attened bed-plate or base, c4. These plates are designed to receive 'the sheet-metal pans or buckets of the eonveyers, as presently described. On either side of plate or base et, in front and rear, are laterally-proj ecting pins c5, separated from each other about'the width of the lugs e on the sprocket-wheel. The lugs e are designed to enter between these pins, on each side of the link, and make engagement therewith to propel the chains, and in order to prevent interferencebetween the bed-plates c` and the lugs e, the latter are hollowed out at the center, as at e, Fig. 10, thereby making roomfor the convex form of the bed-plates or their under face.

In Patent No. 251,315, granted to me December 20, 1881, I have shown and claimed a link somewhat similar inconstruction to the one here shown and described; but in such prior link but one pin was employed, adapted to make engagement with sprockets for-driving the chain in one direction only. By provid# enig two pins, one on either side of thesprock-` e s, provisionis made for driving the `chain in either direction, as well `as for preventing, slipping; also, in the prior link referredto no provision was made for attaching eonveyerbuckets to the links.

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One feature of improvement in the present invention is the bed-plate c, by which I am enabled to make secure and convenient attachment to the sheet-metal plates forming the conveyers. One form of these plates is shown in perspective at D, Fig. 4, and another in Fig. 9. Any suitable rivet or bolt holes may be formed in the plates, adapted to register with the `corresponding holes, c, in the bedplates, through which rivets or bolts e2, Fig. l0, are passed for attachment. The pans or buckets D, Figs. 4 and 9, are in width equal or about equal to the length of the links, and their length is somewhat greater than the distance between the two chains C C, by which the pans are carried. One feature of improvement in this connection is the covered form of the rear edge ofthe pan, as represented at d, whereby a close joint is maintained between successive pans as they overlap and turn over the angles of' the sprocket wheels. This feature of relationship is clearly represented in Fig. l0, in which the direction of motion for ordinary conditions of work is represented by arrows. As there shown, the forward or leading edge of each pan overlaps the rear or following edge of the preceding pan, and as the pans turn the angles of the wheels the upper or overlapping edge fits tightly upon the under or curved edge of the preceding pan, and thereby prevents waste of the inineral or earth between the overlapping edges by enabling the latter to preserve close contact. In order to provide for these underlapping curved edges d, the shank o of the link between the ends c c2 and the central bed, c4', is reduced somewhat in width, so that in effect the socket-joints or pivoted connections between links are greater in diameter than the width of shank c, and the curved plates d may rest thereon without binding upon the shanks, also, the bed c is correspondingly elevated above the edge of the shank, and its fiat face is, bypreference, slightly inclined in the directionof the length of the link, in order that the pans may overlap, as shown. Another feature of improvement in this connection is the means employed f'or supporting the conveyers between'the sprocket-wheels. To this end small rollers e', Fig. l2, in any desired number, suitably mounted on metal frames or plates i', arc fastened by rivets or otherwise to the upper or carrying face of the pans D, (sce Figs. l0 and 1,) or to such number of the pans as may be desired, and these rollers, inthe under or lower passage of the conveyers from wheel to wheel, travel or ride upon a metal or other suitable Stringer or beam, A2, secured in any suitable manner to the frame-work A. I prefer to employ two rows of these rollers near opposite ends of the pans, or immediately over the carrying-ch ains, and, if' desired, they may be fastened either to the pans alone; or their fastening bolts or rivets may be passed through the pans and secured to the bed-plates c'L of the chain-links. rIhe conveyer is supported in its upper passage from wheel to wheel by rollers n, j ournaled in suitable metal boxes, a', which are secured to stringers or beams A, beneath the chains, and extend across from side to side beneath, and thereby afford bearing for the chains. Any desired number of these rollers may be employed to afford requisite support for the conveyer and prevent sagging, so as to carry the load in substantially a horizontal plane. By arranging these bearing-rollers n and t' and their respective track-beams A A2 under or in the vertical planes of the chains direct support for and steadier movement of the chains is secured, and also the pans are supported directly beneath that part which carries the greatest load.

This is an important and useful provision in conveyers designed to carry heavy matter, as earth or minerals, because bending or sagging of pans in the center interferes seriously with easy and proper working of the apparatus.

In order to hold the mineral or earth to be conveyed upon the pans, side plates, R, may be employed, as in Sheet l, which plates may be supported by brackets R', secured to the timbers of the frame A. The side plates, R, may be of any height, as may be required, sufficient clearance being made between their lower edges and the upper surface of the conveyer-pans to prevent friction. If desired, however, the ends of the conveyer-pans may be bent upward atan angle, as represented in Fig. 9, and the flanged sides thus formed will serve the same purpose as the side plates, R, Figs. l and 3, in preventing the mineral or earth from falling over the edges of the conveyer; or in many cases side guards may be omitted entirely. I prefer to use the fixed side boards, R, when any provision of' this kind is needed, because the pans are not loaded thereby, and they are also free from thc liability to become choked or bent, so as to interfere with the proper working of the pans or buckets.

Provision is made for charging the minerals or earth upon the conveyers by means of hoppers, (represented in part by the frame-work II, Figs l and 5, and also Figs. 8 and 7.) h represents feed-opening regulated by the lever-governed valve or gate h. The relative length and width of this opening, in its preferred form, is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or 5 and 7, respectively-that is, the length is greater than the width in order to secure rapid charging and depositing of a greater part of the material in the central line of the conveyer, or about midway between the supporting-chains, l so that the load may be evenly distributed thereon. In many cases side plates, R, or their equivalent sides d, may be dispensed with 5 and therefore I do'not wish to limit my invention to the use of these features of construction 5 also, various modications may be made `in details of construction, which will not alter the functions or operation of the several part-s, and such modifications I consider as coming within my invention.

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claim herein as my invention-- 1. The link c, having thereon a bed or plate, c", for `attachment of the eonveyer-pan, and having two pins, c, projecting laterally from the link on either side of the bed-plate, substantially as set forth.

2. A conveyer-ohain, C, composed of pivoted links @,having pins c5 proj eeting laterally therefrom in front and rear of the center of the links, in combination Withpolygonal sproeketwheels E, having sprockets e thereon engaging the links between the pins on each side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combinationof sprocket-Wheels E, chains C, pans or buckets D, secured to and carried by the links of the chains, brackets R, and side plates, R, secured to the brackets above and at either end of the conveyor-pans, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of frame A A', having traek-beams A2 thereon, in combination with sprocket-Wheels E, chains C, the beams A2 being beneath and in the vertical plane of the chains, pans D, and rollers i, such rollers being secured to the inner face of the pans in the line of or over the chains, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of frame A A', sproeket-Wheels E, chains C, pans D, track-beams A, secured to the frame in the vertical plane of the chains, and rollers n, journaled on the track beams beneath, and supporting the chains in their upper passage between the sprocket-wheels, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

SEBASTIAN STUTZ.

Vitnesses:

R. H. WnIT'rLEsEY, C. L. PARKER. 

